Evolution of Deep Subsurface Microorganisms

 Evolution of the recA Gene in Deep Subsurface Bacteria: Recently, viable bacteria have been isolated from extreme depths below the surface of the earth. If these bacteria have been present in the rocks from they were isolated since the rocks were formed, these bacteria have evolved independently of surface bacteria for millions of years and may represent living fossils.

We are taking advantage of the conservation of the DNA sequence of the recA gene to compare the evolution of this gene in these deep subsurface bacteria with its evolution in surface bacteria.  Currently we are working with isolates from Cerra Negro just west of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

References

van Waasbergen, L. G., D.  L.  Balkwill, and R.  V.  Miller.  1998.  Analysis of vertical phylogeographic patterns in terrestrial deep-subsurface Arthrobacter populations, p.  366.  Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

van Waasbergen, L. G. A. El-Masri, and R. V. Miller.  1996.  Deducing the phylogenetic relationships of deep-subsurface Arthrobacter species through evolution of the recA gene, p.  404.  Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

van Waasbergen, Lorraine G., and Robert V. Miller.  1995.  Structure-function analysis of recA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, p. 560.   Abstracts of the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

Miller, Robert V.  1992. pp. 509-517.  recA.  In S. Luria (ed.), Encyclopedia of Microbiology, Vol. 3.  Academic Press, San Diego, California.

Miller, Robert V., and Tyler A. Kokjohn.  1990. General Microbiology of recA: Environmental and Evolutionary Significance.  Annual Reviews of Microbiology 44:365-394.
 

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